Yup, the Xterra is the SUV of the year in the new Motor Trend. They hated the H3. In my book, a bunch of car guys just shouldn't be evaluating 4x4s. The test track had a 20 degree sidehill, they say, and the Xterra stuck to it like a "billy goat"! How did it ever manage!?

Like Consumer Reports, Motor Trend should be considered editorial entertainment, not a true evaluation.

Yup, the Xterra is the SUV of the year in the new Motor Trend. They hated the H3. In my book, a bunch of car guys just shouldn't be evaluating 4x4s. The test track had a 20 degree sidehill, they say, and the Xterra stuck to it like a "billy goat"! How did it ever manage!?

Like Consumer Reports, Motor Trend should be considered editorial entertainment, not a true evaluation.

Hahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!! 20 degrees??? Stop it!!!!! Even I don't get excited by 20 degrees. Dickheads.

haha 20 degrees is like a typical hill isnt it???? the h3 is good for 60 right?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">"billy goat"! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Someone say "Billy Goat"...sorry couldn't help myself.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by HIHUMMER:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">"billy goat"! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Someone say "Billy Goat"...sorry couldn't help myself. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The return of GoatBoy

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by wannabeH3:
haha 20 degrees is like a typical hill isnt it???? the h3 is good for 60 right? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Actually, no. It's probably capable up to 35 degrees if you have the balls to take it to that. Past that, and you will probably want to be on a good smooth surface such as rock with no bumps and you wouldn't want to go much past it.

You are thinking %. Hummer says 40% side slope at max GVWR. So you could probably go to 60% safely if you didn't have anything on the roof and just a couple of people inside. 60% is roughly 34 degrees.

Unfortunately I have to disagree with this post Motortrend is a reliable source and the Xterra IS a great vehicle. I (my fiance) owns an H3 but I am still willing to give credit where it is due. Other than entry/departure/side angles...the Xterra has the H3 beat in just about every category. We gotta be honest with ourselves here....we'd all love to have that 265hp/285lb-ft V6 under the hoods of our H3s. Personally "I" like the H3s better because I appreciate things such as crawl ratios and breakover angles...but for the "average consumer" driving on the highway, they would probably prefer the 0-60 time under 8 seconds of the Xterra. We all know it takes about a day and half for an H3 to get going that fast

....once they come out with a turbo-diesel (VW style) I'll have to buy an H3 for myself! God I wish they would do that...could you imagine

Motortrend is notoriously unreliable in their ratings, especially where truck-based vehicles are concerned.

They themselves have admitted that they place weight on items that only the few testers like and "think" they know what the average consumer wants.

The H3 wasn't designed for the "average consumer" as you explained it. It was designed, as was the H2, to be a mix of off-road prowess with refined on-road handling. Motortrend's definition of an SUV is a mall-hopping grocery-getter.

Don't forget that the Xterra has one speacial option that any H3 owner would die for...2 wheel drive and other great options like a side step bumper, and cheesey interior. Plus, don't forget the bumble bee styling.

I wouldn't worry too much about any of MT's Car, Truck or SUV of the Year ratings. Let's see for Car of the Year in 1974 they picked the Mustang 2, in '83 the Renault Alliance, the Chevy Malibu in '97, among other duds.

The Nissan is not bad though, it does do a lot of things well. It may not have the cache or off-road prowess of a Hummer, but it's not a bad vehicle. Still I would have voted for the H3.

Besides who cares what MT or any magazine thinks, drive what you like!

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by mall rated:
I wouldn't worry too much about any of MT's Car, Truck or SUV of the Year ratings. Let's see for Car of the Year in 1974 they picked the Mustang 2, in '83 the Renault Alliance, the Chevy Malibu in '97, among other duds.

The Nissan is not bad though, it does do a lot of things well. It may not have the cache or off-road prowess of a Hummer, but it's not a bad vehicle. Still I would have voted for the H3.

Besides who cares what MT or any magazine thinks, drive what you like! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I agree, plus who wants eleventy-billion H3s out on the road. I prefer a unique vehicle.

Pluuuuuus...Motor Trend is French (blech!) owned.

Fawk du French!

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by GMPartsGuy:
Pluuuuuus...Motor Trend is French (blech!) owned.

Fawk du French! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

DITTO!

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by GMPartsGuy:
Pluuuuuus...Motor Trend is French (blech!) owned.

Fawk du French! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hmmm...and Nissan is a French owned company...it's all coming together...

Oh, and I have to agree with GMPartsGuy!

Did you say the French? We surrender.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Mike B:
Did you say the French? We surrender. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Not the teenagers.

Motor Trend = Japanese payola incentives

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by connorgleason:
Other than entry/departure/side angles...the Xterra has the H3 beat in just about every category.

Yea...right

We gotta be honest with ourselves here....we'd all love to have that 265hp/285lb-ft V6 under the hoods of our H3s.

Don't say "we'd all love" since that is incorrect. All implies I want more horse, and I could care less.

but for the "average consumer" driving on the highway, they would probably prefer the 0-60 time under 8 seconds of the Xterra.


That I can agree with

We all know it takes about a day and half for an H3 to get going that fast

Give me a break; personally, I'm really tired of people saying the H3 is too slow, and if your girlfriends H3 takes a day and a half to go fast, you might want to have her remove her foot from the brake pedal.

....once they come out with a turbo-diesel (VW style) I'll have to buy an H3 for myself! God I wish they would do that...could you imagine </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Sounds like you should purchase one of those "TourRags" from VW.

The wife snagged the H3 today for her trip to work. I'm heading home from my job in our old Z28, and see her coming towards me, then turning in front and heading down our street. Keep your 'me too' Xterra. It's awesome having the H3.

I never agree with Motor Trend either, but let's face it, magazines today are swayed by their advertisers. I have the H3 and my wife has had an Xterra for two years. She likes the H3 head and heels over her '04 Xterra. Some subjective observations from me: the Xterra doesn't do water and creeks as well as my H3, the Xterra bounces my head into the roof more often offroad, the Xterra rides much firmer on the highway than the H3, the Xterra has been stuck in mud on the trail to our house twice this year, the H3 ZERO, the AM radio on the Xterra is horrible and barely gets KMOX, which my H3 gets easily, the headlights are not as bright at night on the Xterra, and a major factor to me, the seats are nowhere near as comfortable as the H3, the brakes feel mushier on the Xterra, the Xterra gets a little worse mileage than my H3, and the only positive I would give it over the H3 is its visibility and ease of cargo loading and passenger entry.
All these observations are subjective after living with both vehicles in a true offroad environment on a daily basis.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by sfox:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by PARAGON:
Actually, no. It's probably capable up to 35 degrees if you have the balls to take it to that. Past that, and you will probably want to be on a good smooth surface such as rock with no bumps and you wouldn't want to go much past it.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I drove H3 past 35 DEGREES sideslope today...it was not fun...the truck began sliding sideways.....the H2 didn't slide as much but neither of us wanted to do it again....

S </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Being off-camber at that angle AND sliding ANY amount is just not a fun place to be.

One VERY important thing to remember side hilling is to NOT have the back axle locked up side hilling. This will cause side sliding very easily. It does make a difference.

This is a shot of my H3 at the October Hummer Happenings at South Bends Hummer Off-Road Course. This was the portion of the course where I drove at a 40 degree side angle.

Though I do wish that the pic was taken from the other side, It would have been more dramatic.

60 degree incline